THE NEXT STAGE

Given the unprecedented circumstances of 2020, beleaguered watch companies have adapted rather admirably. The swift and total transference of the industry’s business dealings from interpersonal interactions to online exchanges had been hugely efficient - exceeding expectations, even – given that the watch trade is known to dawdle when it comes to adopting uncomfortable changes.

Along the way, sacred cows were slaughtered. The grand institution that was the Baselworld watch fair, once the world’s largest and longest-running show of its kind, is now no more. Brands with standing and clout that previously exhibited at Baselworld, the likes of Rolex and Patek Philippe, were courted by, and soon joined, the ever-growing Watches And Wonders exposition, which now boasts almost 40 brands on its roster. At the same time, conglomerates like the Swatch Group and LVMH group, which between them manage some of the world’s largest watch companies spanning Omega to TAG Heuer, were happy to stage their own shows.

So where does that leave the so-called 'smaller', independent watch brands that have suddenly found themselves adrift in this clique-ish, post-Baselworld norm? How have watch